Dave O'Higgins

b. David O’Higgins, 1 September 1964, Birmingham, West Midlands, England. O’Higgins began playing trumpet as a small child but then switched to saxophone. At the age of 14 he was a member of the Derbyshire Youth Jazz Orchestra before moving to London and a spell with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. In the late 80s he was with Mezzoforte, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, and Jason Rebello. He also formed his own small groups, including Roadside Picnic, touring extensively in Europe and the Middle East. At the turn of the century, O’Higgins was leading his Biggish Band, which included Jim Watson (keyboards) and Winston Clifford (drums), with considerable success at live dates and on record. Active as a teacher, O’Higgins has taught at Laine and Dankworth’s music school at Wavendon and also in London at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music. O’Higgins, who also plays flute, has played jazz with Sax Appeal, Itchy Fingers, Shorty Rogers, and others, and has accompanied singers as diverse as Nancy Wilson, Randy Crawford, Jimmy Witherspoon and the Four Tops, among many. He has also played classical music with the London Symphony Orchestra. A substantial part of O’Higgins’ repertoire is formed by his own compositions, many of which demonstrate that this is an area not only of creditable growth but also of seemingly limitless potential. His playing, crisp and unmannered, shows his subtle use of a remarkable technique.